Automobile headlight control



1. E. EAGLES AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT CONTROL.

APPLlcAioN H LED 11111.31. 1920.

Patented Apr. 19,1921.

UNITED gSTATES PATENT oFFicE.

JOHN EDMUND EAGLES, or NEW WEs'rMINsTER, BRITISH coLUMBIA, CANADA. n

' AUTOMOBILE HEADILIGHTCONIROL.

To aZZwio/m itmag/'conoerm f i i Be it known that I, lTorriayEniiIuND EAGLES, a subject of tlieKiiig foffGreat Britain, and a resident of 'the cityv `of New l/Vestminster, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in -Automobile Headlight Controls, lof which the 'following is a specification. i

My invention relates to improvements in headlight controlsfor automobiles, and the object of my invention is to provide a simply constructed device ofthis natureladapted to be readily and easily installed at alo'w cost the luse of which enables rvthe lampsto turn automatically with the =car so that they are always positionedparallel with the front wheels and thus the light is directed at all times oii the road whether running straight ahead, turning bends or corners, or turning out when meeting a coming car, thereby rendering night driving much safer than when the lamps are not so turnable. A further obj ect is to provide means whereby the device may be rendered inoperative at will as regards the turning of the lamps whenthey are not required to do so, asin the day time.

I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front end view of anautomobile with which my device is embodied.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a detail view, in part section, of the operating rod and sleeve.

Similar figures` of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

1 indicates the front axle of the automobile on the opposite ends of which are theI knuckle joints 2 and 3 carrying the spindles 4 and 5 on which the wheels 6 and 7 are rotatably mounted, the knuckles being connected by the connecting rod 8 and operated by means of the steering rod mechanism and rod 9, all of the foregoing construction being found generally in automobiles in pres' ent use.

To the rod 9, which it will be understood is longitudinally movable, being actuated by the steering'rod and its associated mechanism, is connected adjacent its rear end by a ball connection 10 la sleeve 11 in the bore of which is slidably mounted a rod 12j awed at its outer end, asiat 13, which jaw is connected to a lever 14 secured to a rotatable Specification of Letters Patent.v 'Paten'ted 19, 192L' application iiiednareh 31, 1'920. fseriaifNofsvoMe.

shaft 15 extending transversely of the vehicle,lwhich shaft is provided at eachgend with 4bevel .gears 16 and 17 meshing vwith gears 18 and 19 secured to the lower ends of vertical shafts 20 21 on the upper ends .of vwhich 'are secured the headlights 22 and'23, these shafts beingmounted in suit- `able columns '24 and v25 secured fto the casings 26 and -27boltedkcr otherwise attached 'to the chassis, these casings forming protective covers for Athe gears just mentioned.

The shaftsi20 and 21 rotate on ball bearings, as indicated a`t`28 in Fig. 2.

f The rod 12 is slotted throughout its lengtlnasat A29, and at a suitable point-inthe length of thefs'lot ahole or depression -30 is provided lin yfwli'li'ch 4'en ,c, a'ges the point of a pin member 31 vertically movable through the wall of the sleeve 11, the upper end of this pin being connected to a lever 32 fulcrumed on the sleeve the long end of which lever extends adjacent to a trip member 33 secured to the sleeve while its short end is connected to the sleeve by a tension spring 34. A flexible connection 35 is secured at one end to the long arm of the lever 32 while its free end is passed through an opening in the trip member 33 and carried up to a suitable point adjacent the steering c01-v umn and within easy reach of the driver, being provided with a handle while a second flexible connection 37 is carried from the trip Vmember 33 tothe same oint and also provided with a handle 38. he sleeve 11 is provided with a square portion 39 normally engaging slidably the slot 29 of the rod 12, so that theturning of thek sleeve to the direction of rotation of the steeringy wheel, thus also moving-the sleeve 11 and also the rod 12, which is normally locked to the sleeve by the engagement of the pin 31 in the depression 30, so thatthe transverse shaft 15 is moved to swing the lamps toward the right or left as the case may be.

.Should it be desired, however, `that the lamps remain stationary during the steering operations, as during the day, for 1nstance, the flexible connection "37 is drawn upwardly thus drawing downwardly the long arm of the lever 32 the extremity of which trips and engages under the trip member 33 to be held down thereby so that the pin 31 is raised out of the .depression 30, the sleeve 1l then sliding freely along the rod l2 as the steering wheel is rotated without actuating the rod so that while the wheel may be operated the lamps in this case remain stationary.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a highly practical and eflioient means for moving automobile headlights tok the right or left coinoidently with corresponding movement of the steering wheel and which may be rendered vinoperative when desired to permit the wheel to be operated without affecting the headlights.

-VVhat I claim as my invention is:

l. A dirigible headlight operating means comprising a pair of slidably engaged members, a pin slidable through one of said members and normally engaged with the other member to restrain said members from relative sliding movement, a lever pivotally connected to the pin and mounted on that member through which the `pin extends, a

resilient connection between said lever and its supporting member located on one side oit the lever pivot, and means connected able through the hollow member and engageable in said depression to lock the members together, a lever pivotally connected to said hollow member and carried thereby, said lever having one end thereof pvotally connected to said pin and resiliently connected to said member, a spring latch carried by said hollow member and engageable with the opposite end of the lever to maintain the latter in a pin retracting position, and means for moving said lever to a pin retracting position and into engagement with said latch. v

Dated at Vancouver, B. C'. Canada, this 11th day of March, 1920. f

JOHN EDMUND EAGLES. 

